Jennifer is SUCH a pleasure to work with on the court. Her positive attitude and confidence in every one of her players really come out in the situations where we need it the most. I sometimes find myself "arguing" with her on the court on who’s fault the mistake was. I’m thinking that it was just a dumb swing and she’s blaming it on her setting; she’s always taking accountability for things she does (or doesn’t do) and is constantly working hard to be the best she can be. Last year she stayed back to work with our National Team coaches at FTC to improve her game and in the process turned down multiple contract offers overseas in Europe. During FTC she walked to the gym at the University of Manitoba (where we train out of) every single morning in the Winnipeg winter; -50 degree weather with breaking eyelashes and frozen toes. She definitely made incredible leaps and bounds, as when we all came back to training in April, the offence was flawlessly faster. And I loved it. Too many times I've been faked out by her sets while playing defense in position 6. I'm often late to cover as a result.

Team History

2013-2014: Team Canada

2009-2013: Montana State University

2007-2008: Team BC

2008: Canada Prospects Team

2005-2008: Fraser Valley Volleyball Club

2005-2009: Pacific Academy Breakers

For those of you who have the privilege of knowing Jenny-cakes, you also know that she has one of those infectious laughs. It doesn’t matter if you find whatever she’s laughing at funny. If she laughs, you will be laughing along side her. It’s totally contagious and everyone loves it. If you didn't already know, Jenny went to Montana State University for 4 years and dominated the league. In 2011 she finished third on the squad with a .253 hitting percentage, while averaging 1.18 kills per game… Uhmm… Jennifer were you not a setter? Dumping swagger, Jenny, dumping swagger. It’s crazy to think that she’s only been on Team Canada for 2 years because already in that short time, she plays such a large role for us on and off the court. When she first came to the team I always wanted to be around her and get to know her better. She just has one of those personalities that you are drawn to. She kind of flew under the radar the years before but I am VERY happy she came up when she did. I asked her why she came to tryout for Team Canada the other summer and she said that Lupo (our coach) had come down to watch her last regular season game at MSU against Montana (they won), and after the game Lupo asked her to come and tryout. She told me that she didn’t really have any idea how this National Team “stuff” worked back then and admitted that she never really had the idea in her head before this. Her senior year at MSU she found out she had a torn labrum in her hip; every time she dove on her right side she would get that wonderful jamming sensation, which was contributing to the tear. Balling out in the weight room also didn’t have the most positive effects on it either. So after 2 years of this accumulation it’s safe to say her hip labrum wasn’t doing so well. During exam week in December, she drove 8hours to Salt Lake City for a screening then back to MSU for an exam, and then back again the next day to get the surgery. In NCAA their season is over by December so luckily she had those months to recover. Jenny ended up coming to Winnipeg after her 5 month recovery to tryout. Side note: after this sort of intensive surgery you aren’t suppose to run before 4 months or jump before 5 months. Great timing, Jennifer? So after a few practices with MSU in spring training she was up trying out for our National Team and I am so happy she made that decision to come. I love playing with her on the court; the fire, energy, and passion she brings day in and day out makes every single player around her better. Her celebration is a backwards-lean-double-fist-pump-scream which can only make any hitter pumped to play with. She’s one of the fastest most athletic setters I’ve worked with and off the court she’s such a wonderful person. Luckily, we get to snuggle this leg of the race in Leuven, Belgium; typical European room with 2 twin beds right beside each other. Good thing I really like her. She will be heading to Hamburg, Germany this fall for her first professional stint. I'm so confident in her and I know she's going to continually raise her game by getting everything she can out of this new opportunity. I've already google-mapped out the directions - a casual 15hour drive is all I need to see her next year. Consider it done, Jenny Cakes.

Awards

2009-2013 Big Sky All-Conference Academic Award

2006-2009 MVP Fraser Valley Regional

2005-2009 Pacific Academy Female Athlete of the Year

Fan Fun Facts:

Best thing about playing for TC: "I love the pride associated with the wonderful opportunity to represent my country on the international stage. The team is so supportive and unified in our goal of being a contender in the 2016 Olympics."

Most memorable volleyball moment: "Making Team Canada last summer and playing my first international game against Cuba. It was a tough game and I had never seen such physicality from a team. We ended up losing in 5 but it was such an incredible level of volleyball."

Most inspirational person: "My mom. Her determination and persistence have always been a huge inspiration for me to pursue my passion. She has always supported me in all of my endeavours."

Her pre game routine is blasting a pump-up playlist and looking over game-plans and scouting reports

She wants to go back to school and pursue a path in medicine. She hasn’t decided exactly how she is going to save the world… so stay tuned.

Her degree at MSU was in cellular biology and neuroscience. According to her, it sounds a lot more intense than it actually was - but I’m going to call that one. Anyone in biomedical science is a genius.

Jenny has an intense love for Donald H. Bane and is an original founder of WWDHBD.

She has 2 siblings: a younger sister named Amanda and an older brother named Jesse. (note: her boyfriend and older brother have the same name).

She's been wearing a solo-sicky arm sleeve lately and her swag is at an all time high.

Jenny's the only one to wear black crew socks... Again: swag.

Lucille informed me that in Elementary School Jenn wanted to change her name to Julia. That was in fact a complete lie.

She's a really good dancer… to rap music… her alter-ego is Jenny-from-the-block.

Her reenactment of "ew" (Jimmy Fallon) is perfection. "How many megapixels?"

Jennifer eats the exact same thing for breakfast every single morning. Concoction: toast, peanut butter, egg, and cheese. All together. In one mash. One of her roommates has informed me that it’s done perfectly everyday; over-easy egg, slice of cheese, all together in a perfected toast sandwich… every single morning. One more time: every day.

She drives an ancient jeep. A ’91 "wrangler" Y-J. Whatever that means. (…Swag).